How do I cope with OA in both knees

EeeBee

Hi everyone I just wanted to say Hello and how much I am looking forward to connecting with others in the same situation. My OA is moderate to severe degeneration and I have been on naproxen for around 2 months. Got to say I'm not sure its helping. Willing to take any advice on how to cope with pain and stiffness. Thinking of trying boswellia alongside naproxen as I have read it might help. Anyone had any experience of it? Thanks in advance for your help and support. Xx

janey4

Hi @EeeBee thank you for posting and a very warm welcome. Hope you will continue to post here so you can chat with others. We are friendly and looking forward to connecting with you.

You mention your OA is moderate to severe. When OA is severe, it is probably worth asking your GP for a referral to see an orthopaedic specialist for ideas of what to expect going forward.

With OA it is very much around self-management. There are many different things that can be done to help manage pain, however there’s not one ‘best’ way, as what works for one may not work for another. Using medications such as painkillers, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), may help, however it is worth discussing with your healthcare professionals to identify the best treatment for you based on your individual needs and circumstances. Steroid injections can also be helpful to manage pain. You may wish to ask your GP to refer you to a physiotherapist to explore the option of specialist exercise and advice. Self-management techniques include using complementary and alternative medicines, heat packs, ice packs, hot baths or showers to relieve stiffness and pain, making sure you get plenty of rest and gentle stretching and strengthening exercises to help relieve stiffness. Exercise is very important for arthritis as it’s essential to keep your joints moving and your muscles strong. If arthritis is causing pain, you may not want to move but this can increase stiffness and in the long term your muscles will weaken, making movement even more difficult. You’ll need to find the right balance between rest and exercise – too much activity may increase your pain but too little can make your joints stiffen up.

With complementary products like boswellia, it is worth remembering that what works for one person may not necessarily work for another, but many people do try different products until they find something that works for them but always remember to check with your GP or pharmacist before taking these things to make sure they are ok with any other medications you are taking.

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/complementary-and-alternative-treatments/

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/conditions/osteoarthritis/

Please do keep posting and letting us know how you are getting on.

Best wishes

Jane

 

jonr

A very warm welcome @EeeBee

Everything @janey4 is spot on and the links she's provided are really well worth reading because most Arthritis sufferers need to self-manage their condition because there's little GPs can do apart from prescribing NSAIDs and painkillers and some won't even do that.

So Naproxen ought to help with the inflammation but I agree with you - for some people it's not enough on its own.

I have severe OA in both knees and awaiting a double total knee replacement. I take Boswelia as a natural anti-inflammatory and also Bromelain capsules which is another AI derived from Pineapple, plus a Turmeric and Circumin blend and eat lots of Olives, Salmon and Eggs. Whilst my inflammation seldom goes away, it's not anywhere as severe as it used to be, say after a gym session or a 30 mile bike ride.

If it's stiffness you want to sort, I smear on a gel called FlexiSeq which acts by helping to lubricate my knees. I top that up with 5KIND Hemp gel and Red Tiger Balm, then put on knee supports which not only add stability and the compression is good for blood flow but keeps my clothes from getting mucky. I can also recommend a deep tissue massaging gun,(lots for sale on Amazon). This is brilliant when my knees are stiffest first thing in the morning - I rub it directly into the muscles, tissues and tendons on the backs of my legs and sides.

For pain, I use a TENS machine daily, go to an Acupuncturist and take Co-Codemol which is available behind the counter in pharmacies.

As Jane said, exercise and physio is really important, not just to help prop up your knees but to keep fit, healthy and mentally strong but to do that, really good pain management is needed.

Nail that and it may well all fall into place but it is trial and error and some things may either have no effect or even as I found with Glucosamine actually make your condition worse.

All the best,

jon

EeeBee

Hi Jane and Jon and thank you so much for all the information. I think I need to put together some sort of a plan to include the things you mention. I have seen a physio privately and have a programme of exercises. Unfortunately I don't think I really appreciated how important they are. So my first action is to make sure I do some stretches and other exercises at least once a day. I also have an exercise bike which I do use three times a week but am only managing about 15 mins a session at the moment. I have a TENS machine but don't really know how to use it. I am seeing the doctor on 1st August so I need to think about what I need to tell her and what I should ask her. I need to absorb all your information and get a serious plan in place. I really want to avoid surgery for as long as possible. Thank you agsin so much.

EB

jan48

I have got a nova sonic deep tissue massage. Have got a baker’s cyst behind just wonder whether I could use them? Diagnosed with knees arthritis. Thanks